MOVE OVER NYC & CHICAGO... MAKE WAY FOR NEW HAVEN'S APIZZA

The age-old question of 'which city's pizza is the best' will probably never come to pass. Years and years have gone by where New Yorkers and Chicagoans have laid claim to having the best pie of the land. And, depending on where you come from, you may very well agree with one or the other.

I, for one, was never a pizza aficionado... probably due to the fact that the DC area isn't exactly known for a clandestine mastery of the "apizza." (And no, I'm not even going to hint anything at all about Adams Morgan's infamous Jumbo Slice, which is delicious if you can't walk straight after a night of excessive drinking.)

Even as a college student, I preferred junkin' out on wings, instant ramen, and cheap Chinese take-out over Papa John's, Domino's, or Pizza Hut. If pizza is in the room, then sure - I'd grab a slice. But it's never been my first choice. As of late, I've found that I'm more inclined to dine over any pizza that isn't advertised on TV. (Uh, Domino's? Gross.)

I recently had a chance to visit the city of New Haven in Connecticut when I was a part of my friend's wedding there. It was my first time in CT, and the only thing I really had to go on was whatever my friend, Jess, told me of the place. New Haven is her hometown, and her deep Italian roots are very much institutionalized there. It is home to a sizable Italian American community, and this was especially prevalent in a little area denoted as New Haven's "Little Italy," just outside of Yale's ivy league campus.

My friend, Leah, and I made a pit stop at NH's Little Italy before we hopped on a train back to the DC area. Our mission: to have a taste of New Haven's slice of life.

We walked past a few places, one of which had a line spilling outside its doors. While we decided to skip out on the place that was suggested to us, we ended up at a cozy spot called Abate Apizza & Seafood Restaurant. A quaint spot with a "moms & pops" feel, it was the perfect place to lunch aI fresco.

In all my randomness, I ordered a cup of coffee... and we ordered fries (of course), a meatball sub, and a white pizza (sans tomato sauce, which I love, and topped with slices of fresh tomatoes). The French fries were as delicious as any Italian American could've made them (ha!), and the meatballs were tasty in all their tomato-esque glory (with an equally crisp, yet soft, Italian bread embracing them). And the pizza -- so simple, yet absolutely delicious.

Thin crust? Check.

While the crust fell a little on the bland side, its cracker-like texture around the edges made for a yum canvas for the deliciousness that lay on top of it. It certainly made for a very tasty pie, and since we were stuffed, we delighted in the fact that we now had food for the train ride. (So much better than the gross microwaved hot dogs that you pay an arm and a leg for at the cafe car.)

I, unfortunately, didn't have a camera on hand since my parents had taken theirs with them on their trip outside the country... and my camera is out of commission. But luckily, I did find pics from a fellow blogger named Robyn, who hosts a very nice food blog of her own: The Girl Who Ate Everything. So these photos belong to her:

New Haven's Abate Apizza & Seafood Restaurant (Photo courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything)

White Pie w/Fresh Tomato Slices (Photo courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything)

For me, New Haven pizza now tops my list... with New York pizza trailing just behind. Who knew?!
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Abate Apizza & Seafood Restaurant, 129 Wooster St., New Haven, CT 06511, 203-776-4334

I SECRETLY WANT THIS...

This is my out-of-left-field thought of the day:

I secretly want this...



But since the price tag is making me quiver, I could easily go for this instead:



It's like comparing apples and oranges, I know. One is a full-on carry-on day bag, and the other is a work bag; I could go for either since I'm on the hunt for something functional in both respects. We shall see, though. I'm totally in need of a "happy birthday to me" kind of purchase, and these are definitely in line. Ha!

BANNER EXAMPLE

Yesterday, I was following the updates on the Philippine Elections (Halalan 2010). I ended up landing on a page with an article that somehow sparked my interest. To my horror, this is what came up:


OK, so it wasn't really the article that caused my stomach to churn, but the two - NOT ONE, BUT TWO - banner placements to "Find Your Filipina Beauty Today!"

Are you effin' kidding me?!

So, it's actually no surprise since Southeast Asian women have been objectified for as long as I can recall. And it doesn't matter which ASEAN nation you come from: Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines --- they all fall prey to the world of "Mail Order Brides." I think I was just too shocked to see the banners, since it had been a while since I've been exposed to this kind of objectification and exploitation of my fellow Filipino (Filipina, in this case).

Shame on entertainmentandshowbiz.com for allowing such an add to run in this space. And to allow it to pop-up with an article on the Philippine elections makes it all the more disgusting.